Tucson spring Building - (Day 10)

3/31/13 (Sunday) -  Weather: sunny and some wind

We woke up around 8:30a.m. and had lemon cream puff biscuits for breakfast. After we went outside and finished the foundation. For lunch, we had bread with butter and jam and ice cream. After Tom finished eating, he took a nap and I wrote this journal.

 
When Tom woke up from the nap we went back out and put the four 4x4x9ft wood on top of the concrete block then we put the 18 feet long 2x4 on top. Then we started cutting the 15 pieces of 2x4x96” and 2 pieces of 4x4x8 to 93 inch long to fit between them.

 When we done, I went to take a shower, while Tom check the level. He found out the foundation was off by 3 inches between the left and right hand sides. Also he cut several small pieces of woods (glue in under the bottom of 4x4x9) to make it level. I was helping Tom to glue the woods on to the 4x4x9.

Tom told me he needs to buy one more bag of concrete to add to the block and  #8 x ¾ long round head screw to connect to the two bottom rail. Then Tom went back in the trailer and took a shower. We thought we have enough time, we found out Home Dept and Lowe’s were close at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, but since today was 3/31/13 (Easter the both store closed early) we ended up going to Walmart to check the screw, but they were out of the size we wanted. We bought more food for next day. They have donuts on sale 6 pieces for $1.50 and 12 pieces for $2.50, but only few donuts left, so we only bought 6. Also we bought cat litter, clamp light, bread and some lunch meats. 

Next we went to check on the Dairy Queen see if they have any food beside desert. I check the menu, I only see desert. So we went to Wendy’s for dinner, when we done, they lady who work there came over and asked us what race are we? We told her we were Chinese, and then she told us she is ¼ of Korean and she is only 16 years of age. She dropped out from high school and went to the vocational school. She wanted to work in billing field in the medical office. While we were talking, another guy (worker from Wendy’s) come out and told her she was clocked her already. Because she was talking to us and not working. We ask her we hope you would not get fired from the job. She said she will be fine and continued talking to us. 

Couples of minutes later we left the store and went to the Walmart Neighborhood Market. We checked to see if they have the screw we want, but I did not see any. I ended up buying 4 cans of Friskies cat food. When I looked at the receipt I found out their sale tax is cheaper only 7.10 % not 9.10 %, so I told Tom next time if we want to buy any other supply we should come here.

  Tom dropped me off to Safeway to buy ice cream, after that we went back to our trailer.  But we have to go to the Lowe’s tomorrow morning to buy screw and concrete.

Tucson Spring Building - (Day 9)

3/30/13 (Saturday) -  Weather: Cloudy in the morning, sun come out around afternoon

I woke up 6:30a.m in the morning, both cats jumped up to the kitchen window. So I told them to come down, but none of them listened to me. I had to get up and made them to come down. Then I read some books about half hours before I went back to sleep. By the time we both woke up it was past 9:30a.m. I went outside and cleaned up the cat sand box. We had bread with butter and jam for breakfast. 

 

 

We both started working on the foundation. We move the concrete bag to the foundation and Tom mixed the concrete while I was adding the water to the concrete. Tom moved the concrete block into the hole, next he was level the block. Before leveling the block we need to add small stones first and then concrete mix on top. He tapped it until it is leveled on both width and length directions. When he was done, he went to next location to dig another hole. I painted the 2x4x18 with the wood treatment. When he had done digging the hold, I went back and help him adding water to the concrete mix again. 

 

The it was lunch time. We drank the soup which I made from yesterday for lunch. Then we both have ice cream. We went back to work until the sun got down and we both were too tired to continue to work. We only have two more blocks to put in the foundation for tomorrow. Tom was taking a shower while I was preparing the food for dinner. We had pork chop, corn and potato for dinner. After I finished cooking the food, I went to take a shower before eating. For dessert, Tom had ice cream and I had kiwi. After I cleaned up all the dishes I started typing this journal. We were in bed around 10:30 p.m.

Tucson Spring Building - (Day 8)

3/29/13 (Friday) -  Weather: Normal feel like 84 degree

We got up very early this morning around 8:00 a.m. We have elbow macaroni with ham for breakfast again (this was left over from yesterday).  We started to work on our 18 L x 8 W x 8 H shed. We are building it for storage of our tools and misc. We continued leveling the foundation, but it got too hot. So we started screwing the four 18 feet floor joist together under the shade. We feel tired and hungry around 11:00 a.m. .We have a sandwich for lunch. After we finish eating we both felt sleep, and take a short nap. 

 

 

But it got too hot, Tom woke up and we put extra cover on top of our trailer bed camper. I slept until 1:00 p.m. The wind blew so hard it crack my plastic bowl that I just filled with water for hand washing when it fell to the ground while we were cutting the 2x4x18 wood. Next we went back and level the foundation again, since the sun went down a little around 5:00 p.m..  This time we had it all done. Tom started digging the ground to put in the concrete blocks foundation. I was moving the 2x4x92” from the truck. We need 15 pieces of 2x4x92” for now, so I put it very close to the chop saw.  The rest of the woods I put them in a different pile. After that we the 5 sheets T&G from the truck on the ground. 

We both took a shower. I told Tom I was too tired to cook, and we need to buy drinking water for our 5 gallon container, also butter. We found a Chinese restaurant named Phoenix Village (2750 W. Valencia). Their buffet price for lunch was $7.95 Mon-Sat and dinner was $9.95 Mon-Sat (Sun was all day $9.95). The food was good and many item to choose from and it includes drink. The waitress was name Mingy. She was from Korea. She asked us where are we came from? (the owner want to know too). Then she told us she was here about 10 years and moved form New York City. She bought a house here for $107,000 with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. We were the last customer in this Chinese restaurant, they closed at 9:00 p.m..By the time we were out, it passed 9:35 p.m.  Next we went to Safeway which was not far from this buffet and bought butter and ice cream. We got our water from a station on the edge of the parking lot in front of the Safeway for $.25/gallon. Then we went back to our trailer and Tom watching TV while I was typing this journal.

Tucson Spring Building - (Day 7)

3/28/13 (Thursday)  -  Weather: sunny and about 84 degree

We had elbow macaroni with ham for breakfast. Then I put all the dirty clothes into our cloth bags and put it in our truck.  We tried a new way to go to town. It has a few new houses along the road. I noticed the houses does not have any fence around the house. We passed by the Samrose Market located at the Camino Verde and Drexel Rd. with gas station, ($3.41/gallon for gasoline and they have propane for $2.99/gallon) which was cheaper that Circle K. on 22nd.

 We kept on driving and saw a Safeway (w. Valencia Rd.), and a coin laundry at the end and a Family Dollar. First we went in the Family Dollar to look for the shoe pad, we found one for $5; 2 Colgate Toothbrushes for $2 and 75W soft white light bulb for $1.  After that we went to Safeway and we bought 2 donuts and $1.99 badillo rolls  and lemonade.  

 Next we went to the laundry, there were several washing machines prices from $1.50; $2.00; $2.75; $3.50 and $4.50 and the dryer was all the same price $.25 for 6 minutes. I choose the $2.00 washing machines and I put in $1 to dry the clothes. You can eat inside the laundry and they have a clean bathroom. 

 

 

We put our clothes back to the truck and drove to the Lowe’s and get 5 more 3/4 thick T&G and 10 more good 2x4x96 studs that we could selected before we went back to our land. We had sandwich and lemonade for lunch. After Tom finished his food, he went inside the trailer and took a nap again. When he woke up, he went outside and started working on the land.  I was staying in the trailer and typing this journal, until I was almost finishing for the day. Then I went outside and help Tom leveled the building site, but we did not do a good job. Our post were all crooked. We had to fix most of the posts the next day, because it was getting dark outside.

 We went back inside the trailer and I start cooking Vermicelli (bean Thread) with shrimp; dumpling and vegetables. Then we have peanut desert and Tom went to take a shower.  After he finished, I cut up the apple for him to eat, while I was typing this journal until it was time for bed.

Tucson Spring Building - (day 6)

3/27/13 (Wednesday)  - sunny in the morning and windy around 4 p.m. sun got cover by the cloudy

We woke up around 10 a.m. We both were very tried from working the last two days. Today I made eggs and bacon with French rolls and hash brown. After we finished I went outside to sort out the tools, it took me more than half an hour. While I was outside Tom was taking a short nap, after I done, I went back inside and took a quick shower.

 Tom woke up and we start pulling the T&G from the truck to lay on the concrete for platform. Then we work on the 20 feet long woods, Tom saw them into 18 feet long and screwed together. Tom needs to use up all his clamp tools to set up.

 After that we work on the tarp because we cut the long side to size. We pulled it down and start putting more rings on the trimmed side of the tarp, but Tom found out that the big ring hole punch does not work right. So we used the small rings instead, I was punching out the hole, while Tom was putting the rings. After we use up the small rings, Tom told me to keep punching out the more hole, we can go out to buy some more rings.  While I was working on the hole, Tom grind the big punch sharp, he was using the grinder to make it sharp. So I needed to punch the old hole again the make it bigger.  Tom was putting the big rings on the tarp. We were using the 18 feet woods on the bottom to support the punch. By the time we were done putting all the rings, we start putting back the top on the pole, it was getting dark, and we need to work faster. We needed some more balls to hold the tarp, but it was very late (past 7:30 p.m.) Tom decided to go to the store tomorrow, I went back inside the trailer and started cooking dinner while Tom was still working outside to survey and leveling the foundation. I was waiting for Tom to finish his work and started working on my journal. When Tom came back from his work, I told him to take both cats for shower; I put Ben Ben into the shower first. Next I exchange Odie with Ben Ben. I dried up both cats while Tom was still in the shower.  Then I went outside and clean up the cat sand box. Next I went back inside the trailer and heat up the soup for Tom. We have Sushi and bake potato for dinner.

Tucson Spring Building - (Day 5)

3/26/13 (Tuesday)  - weather was sunny and hot,  temp. about 88 degree

We have bacon and eggs for breakfast. Then we moved the four 4x4x10ft and the two 4x4x96” from the truck and put on top of the block.

 We want to buy some more things, first: we want to buy bread (we like Safeway bread), second: Tom needs to buy another pair of shoe, because his shoes had a crack. Third: I want to go to Chase and get some cash.  Tom asked me to check on his phone to look for closest Safeway location. Tom said looked for the Safeway on the south side, So I chose and told Tom to keep driving on Valencia, but it was too far on the East side past Kolb Road. We got lost, because the road sudden change on the left side and we decided to find another location. We found one on the Gulf Link and Wilmot. We found French Rolls 12 CT. for $2.99 and Lemonade for $.99 a gallon. We also bought donuts 2 for $1. We went back to our truck and started eating the donuts and rolls with the Lemonade. We found cheap gas for $3.39 right on the same corner lot, which we have not seen for a while. 

We continued travel North of Campbell Ave. Tom turns West on Fort Lowell Road and found the Sunbelt Rentals, we looked around for the right equipment to rent to level the land. While we were looking a man come over and helped us to decide which one for the job. We went back inside the building and found out it cost $415 a day. The price included equipment 318D which we needed, deliver, and insurance but we need to fill up the diesel after used. We walked in the Goodwill store to look around the place; I found a nice shore for Tom.

 Then we drove back south to Valencia. Went inside Big Lot to see if there was anything to buy, we did not found any. We went to Walmart just to buy saltines and simply peach. Next we went to Lowe’s buy 2x4x20 ft (qty of 4 @ $8.39/ea). We have the employees help us cut down to 18 feet. The guy told us their saw was not working properly. I just told them we need to cut it down, otherwise not going to fit our truck. It would be too long and not safe to drive back home.

 We also bought 23/32” x4x8 T & G (qty of 5 @ $28.97/ea); 2x4x96” (qty of 26 @ $2.77/ea). After I paid for the woods, I asked them to help me load the wood to our truck. They asked us what we are going to do with this wood.  Tom told them we are going to build storage.  While Tom drove back home we passed by Chase, but our woods were too long to go inside the parking lot. We decided to go back next day. We drove back home slowly. Tom used the long way home (it mean Valencia, Camino Verde and then turn right at Ajo Highway, to Kinney at McDonald’s).

 We filled up our water tank and unload the woods on the ground. Then I went back inside and cut up the Sushi and Japanese noodles for dinner. We took some leftover 4 in thick flat concrete pad to build a platform for sawing.

Tucson Spring Building - (Day 4)

3/25/13 (Monday)  -  weather: HOT

We need to fill up our propane tank, because we only have one tank, the other one was empty. First we stopped by the Tucson Library on Mission, which was the closest to our land. We went inside the library and it was a very small place, it only has three tables that have power outlet. Then we went across the street and check on the propane price, I went inside and asked a guy how much is the propane? He told me the price is $3.99/gallon. We then went back the same Circle K on E. 22^nd and Alvernon street. This time the propane price was $3.04/gallon, it was cheaper than last time we were here (on winter 2012).

We went to Home Depot and compare the price with Lowe’s, but found the most the items were same price, expect the smart panel on Lowe’s was $19 and Home Depot was $15.99.(they are hardboard not OSB) We only bought the paint for wood protection for $5.94 and 2 bundle of stakes for leveling for $2.97/ea, because we want to buy the woods at the Lowe’s at 5% discount with Lowe’s card. Then we dropped by the Chickenuevo on W. Valencia Rd for lunch. After that we went to a timber yard near Polo Verde. But the wood is way too expensive for the special 18 ft long 4x4. He suggested using two 10 ft which I agreed since I have support in middle. We went to Lowe’s for the 4x4x10 ft  and 8 feet ladder, we went back home and we have left over chicken from Costco. We finished put the tarp on the metal frame.